Fake encounter? Tarathpora tense, 2 vehicles torched

Hundreds of civilians on Thursday poured onto streets in Tarathpora area of Handwara protesting against what they termed “cold blooded murder” of a teenager by army on Monday.

Local sources said that the protesting civilians clashed with forces and torched forces vehicle.

They said the protesters are demanding an FIR against the erring army personnel for killing a civilian, Shahid Ahmad Mir in a “fake encounter”.

body of slain Shahid Ahmad Mir

Although the deputy commissioner Kupwara Khalid Jehangir reached the spot in a bid to pacify the protesters, but, locals said he was caught hold of and put inside a locked room.

They said that the DC assured the people that an FIR has been registered against the Army. However, he didn’t reveal the section under which the FIR was lodged. The locals are demanding FIR under section 302 CrPC.

Witnesses said that people torched two forces vehicles that were accompanying the deputy commissioner.

They said that forces used massive force to disperse the enraged protesters. Several of them have received injuries in the clashes. Meanwhile, the locals have put the body of the slain on main road and are not ready to bury him till an FIR under section 302 is registered and a copy of the same is handed over to the locals.

Pertinently, army on Tuesday claimed that a non-local militant had been killed in a gunfight in Handwara forests. However, police has issued no objection certificate in favor of the slain youth.

On Wednesday when the army handed over the body to police, some locals identified the body as of a local civilian, Shahid Ahmad Mir, son of Bashir Ahmad Mir, resident of Daril Tarathpor Ramhal.

Family of the slain said they believe that he was kidnapped and then killed in a staged encounter.

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